Origin
Hillcrest, IL
Afternoon in Hillcrest on Friday
Local time
3:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hillcrest, IL to Rockford, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
24.7 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hillcrest, IL
Mike Tyurin
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Hillcrest, IL to Rockford, IL covers 24.7 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on IL 251, South Main Street, U.S. Grant Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.8 miles on IL 251. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 24.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 36m highway drive covering 24.7 miles, with most of the trip on IL 251 and South Main Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 18.8 miles on IL 251.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
IL 251 is the longest continuous segment at about 18.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IL 251 and South Main Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 18.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 18.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 19 miles (US 20 / U.S. Grant Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 20.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
18.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the ramp toward US 20 West: Freeport
Navigation decision point
Toward US 20 West: Freeport
3
19 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
US 20 / U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
Merge onto US 20 / U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
20.6 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward IL 2: Rockford, Dixon
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IL 2: Rockford, Dixon
4
20.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
24.6 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
West State Street
Turn right onto West State Street
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Hillcrest, IL to Rockford, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Dixon along the way.
Dixon
20.6 mi in
|
~29m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IL 251 | 18.8 mi | 27m |
| South Main Street | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| U.S. Grant Memorial Highway | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| West State Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
IL 251
— 18.8 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hillcrest, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on IL 251
19 mi
·
27 min
·
IL 251
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward US 20 West: Freeport
3
Merge onto US 20
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward IL 2: Rockford, Dixon
5
Keep slight right at fork
281 ft
·
6 sec
6
Turn straight onto IL 2
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
South Main Street
7
Turn right onto West State Street
148 ft
·
4 sec
·
West State Street
8
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.86 one way
$7.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.24 | $8.48 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.75 | $9.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.45 | $10.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.46 | $1.58 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Rockford, IL
Afternoon in Rockford on Friday
Local time
3:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSE 10 to 25 mph
36% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 5:49AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 5:49AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
10 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
36m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Hillcrest, IL to Rockford, IL covers 24.7 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are IL 251, South Main Street, U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.3 miles from Hillcrest, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.86 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 18.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 19 miles (US 20 / U.S. Grant Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 20.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Hillcrest, IL to Rockford, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Dixon along the way.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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